~Chapter 8~

Wynne listened unobtrusively to the Herald who had nearly shot her the night before tell a few other Heralds about the mysterious cat in the field. 

"I swear, she was longer than I am tall, at least seven feet from nose to tail.  And as gentle as a kitten.  She had the softest fur, a silvery grey with black spots the size of my hand."

"She let you pet her?"

"She seemed to enjoy getting her ears scratched."

"Does she have a name?"

"I was just going to call her Silver."

:I seem to be collecting names.:  Wynne commented to Daire.

"Do you think she'll be there tonight?  I wonder where she is hiding during the day, a cat that big would be noticed."

Wynne smiled slightly.

"Hi, you must be new here."  A young woman slid into a seat across from her.

"I just arrived yesterday."

"Let me be the first to say, thank the Gods you are a female."  She grinned.  "I was the only girl in my year group and the one that followed had no girls.  I think you are the only girl in your group too."

Wynne considered this bit of news.  "I think I may like those odds."

The young woman laughed.  "I am Yolana."

"Liawynne, but please call me Wynne."

"Call me Yoli, I know it sounds silly, but there is already a Herald Lana."

"Pleased to meet you Yoli."  Wynne grinned.  This woman was maybe a year younger than Wynne and was definitely a good natured girl.  She did remember she was one of the Trainees who came to the Purple Cat occasionally.

"You remind me of someone."  Yoli commented.

"The Purple Cat."

"Right!  I love that place.  Good food, good company, good music, and plenty of it."

"I was very pleased with how it prospered.  I am a miserable business woman and if not for my nephew and Geeva I would have gone under."

"Part of being good in business is knowing who to rely on.  My father owns a tavern in Haven as well and has been watching what you do very intently."

"Dumb luck."  Wynne dismissed it.  "I have put it into trust for my niece and nephews."

"Trust me; you have become the hero of the starving minstrels who know that if they play there they get exposure and food.  Even Master Bards have shown up there."

"I am glad to hear it.  It was Kane's idea to lure them with offers of food."

Wynne snagged a plate that was piled with slices of meat that smelled divine.  She placed several on her plate before passing it on.

A young man about the same age as Yoli sat next to them.  "Did you hear about the ghost cat yet?  Apparently she was playing with the Companions last night."

"Really, could it be Julian's Blackberry?"  Yoli asked curiously.  "Oh, Garun, this is Liawynne, she was just Chosen."

"Pleased to meet you."  He greeted her warmly.

Wynne could sense the attraction between the two trainees and suppressed a smile.  If only humans could sense what she did, they would spend less time courting trying to figure out what other people were thinking. 

"She was the owner of the Purple Cat."  Yoli mentioned.

"Really?  I love that place."

"So Blackberry was playing with the Companions?"  Yoli urged.

"No, this cat is massive, seven feet long all silver.  I heard he may be one of the Totem spirits of the Northern tribes."

"What would one of them be doing down here?"

"Talking to the Companions?  I don't know."

"I have to get going.  Daire is waiting impatiently for me."  Wynne excused herself.

"It was nice meeting you Wynne."  Garun said as she stood.

"See you later."  Yoli grinned.

Wynne hurried to the Stables, eager to see Daire.  As she entered the roomy stable the strange human-cat scent reached her again.  This time however this time it wasn't from the same source.

There were a handful of people clad in white or grey and it was from none of them.

:You are worse than a hunting dog.:  Daire teased.

:Cats are supposed to be curious, remember.  I'll get to you in a moment.:

She walked silently do the hall, with each step the scent grew stronger.  This was a male, the last one was most definitely a female.  The scents were slightly similar so she knew they were related in some way.  They were young, perhaps brother and sister.

She was nearly to the end when she heard the voices.  A female and a male speaking in a language she didn't understand.  She could also hear a Companion shifting and the sound of a brush being run over a smooth coat.

Wynne paused then turned away, no reason to interrupt what may be an important conversation.

Another sound caught her attention.  Someone was leaving the stall but the brushing hadn't stopped.

She stood to the side and waited for the person to the pass.

It was the cat-man.  He had ice white hair and golden skin and dressed in dark blue fabric.

:Interesting.:  She sent and debated following him but decided not too.  He was a foreigner so was not a known quantity like the Heralds were.

:Snoop.:  Daire teased.

:So?:

:Let me guess, just instinct.:

:Yes, I guess, I want to know all dangers in my environment.:

Wynne gathered Daire's brushes and went in search of the Companion.  "How was your morning?"

:Good, nice a relaxing, and your night?:

"Enjoyable, I had a hot bath.  It was like being in the Havens.  Have you heard about this ghost cat?"

:You are having a great deal of fun with this, aren't you.:

"Of course."

:I wonder how long until someone catches on.:

"Who knows?  I am going for a swim tonight."

:Its freezing!:

"I know.  Like I said, I want to know all dangers in my territory."

Daire heaved an equine sigh.  :Sometimes it is easy to forget you aren't just what you appear to be.:

She used her fingers to detangle his mane.  "You look like a mouse nest.  Do all Companions have such a difficult time keeping tidy?"

:No, just me.:  Daire gave a horse-like grimace. 

"Lucky for you it's in my nature to groom."  Wynne laughed.

:And touch, I noticed you touch the people you love.:

"It's an extension of the same instinct."

:Like mother cats grooming their kittens or cubs.:

"Exactly."  Wynne stood back to examine her handy work.  She had bound the fine hair of his mane in a tight braid.  "Turn around and I'll do your tail."

Daire obliged and Wynne first French braided half his tail then braided the rest in a dozen smaller braids.

"There.  Try not to roll in the mud."  Wynne pulled out the pastry she had brought and offered it to him.

:Blackberry!  My favourite.:

"Scamp."  She grinned and stroked his neck one last time before heading back to the Collegium.

:Going snooping again?:

Wynne grinned and left with out answering.

In her room she shifted and went in search of the cat-man.  As she started down the stairs she scented something much more interesting.  Julian.

She changed her heading and went in search of him instead.  He was in one of the classrooms flipping through a pile of papers.

She admired him for a moment and leaped on to the desk.

"Berry."  He smiled and stroked her back.  "Where have you been hiding these past few months?"

She meowed and rubbed her head against him.

"I missed you too."  He chuckled.  "Are you here to visit Liawynne?"

She purred.

"Thought so.  Perhaps I'll see you more often now."

You have no idea, Wynne thought with a feline smile.

"Have you seen a paper with 576 written on the top?"

Wynne looked at the scattered papers and pawed a few off to the side.

Julian rest his arms on the desk.  "You are one strange cat."

Wynne looked up and tried to look innocent.

"You understand every word I say, don't you."

Wynne just did her 'mysterious cat' stare.

Julian eyed her suspiciously.

:Oops.:  Wynne commented to Daire.  :I think I will go find somewhere else to be.:

She hopped off the desk and resumed her original plan to find the cat-man.  Or the cat-woman if she found her first.

She started in the Stable and followed the trail out to the field.  In a copse of trees was an odd building with massive triangular windows.  Inside she could see abundant greenery.

This looked interesting.

She eagerly inspected the doors another cat had been through here very recently but it smelled a little odd.  It took all her strength to open the door.  There was a second door after that the opened towards her, she could see the hinges.

She stood on her back legs and examined the door knob.  It didn't turn!  Dropping to the ground again and shimmied her paw under the door it took some work but she managed to get the door open.  She dashed inside before it closed again.  The smell or green growing things and rich earth assaulted her.  She could smell cat-man and the odd cat quite strongly despite the smell of blooming flowers.  There was also another man here who didn't smell like most Valdemarans.  She followed the scent until she found a hot pool and the two men were soaking in the water.  What caught her attention and held it was the massive house cat.  He was not as big as she was when she assumed either of her larger forms.  His orange points and cream fur were nothing that occurred in nature and his massive blue eyes were like the Companions.

She froze under a leaf and stared at the cat.  She resisted the urge to shift into something larger.  No wonder he smelled odd.

They did say curiosity killed the cat and it looked like it was about to be proven true.

The men were still unaware of her presence and the cat was staring at the cat-man from before.

"I thought I heard the door."  The dark man commented.

"So did I."  The cat-man emerged from the water and strode to the door.

The cat followed him with his gaze.  Wynne stayed as still as possible.  The cat stared at her hiding place.

"I think we found our guest."  The man still in the water called out.

She was so focused on the big cat staring at her when cat-man tried to pick her up.  She jumped and landed in the water.

The dark haired man scooped her up before she even had collected herself enough to swim.

Cat-man wrapped her in a towel and started drying her off.  "I think I scared the poor little thing."

"How did she get in here?"

"Not a clue.  Maybe she was looking for Altra."

:I have never seen her before.:

Wynne stared at the cat, the voice must have come from him.  He was not a Shifter, how could he speak like that?

Cat-man set her next to the big cat.  "It looks like you have a secret admirer, Altra."

Realising the bigger cat intended her no harm she relaxed.  She was tempted to ask him what he was.  Instead she started grooming the water out of her fur.

:She is certainly a pretty little thing.  I wonder if I could speak to her.:

Wynne tried to ignore them and tried to get the water out of her ears.

:Do you hear me?: 

She looked up at him.  She could respond or stay silent.  Responding would be much more interesting.  :Yes.  Is there something you want?:

:That is not a cat!:  Altra jumped out and stared at her.

The men turned to her and stared at her.

"What is she then?"

:I don't know.:

Cat-man stared at her like he was trying to remember something.  The darker man reached out and with a little fumbling touched her head.  "She feels like a cat."

Wynne found this all very amusing.

"I think I may remember a creature like that…"  Cat-man's voice trailed off.  "Ma'ar tried creating a perfect spy, a combination of cat and human."

"What happened to them?"

"He discovered it is impossible to rule cats.  He tried to create loyalty to them but they were more loyal to each other than to him so he abandoned them."

"And you think she is one of these spies?"

"They were called Shifters because they could Shift between a nearly human form and a cat form.  I didn't think they would be able to survive.  Ma'ar certainly wanted them to die off.  He made them nearly undetectable and immune to magic so he couldn't change them when they rebelled."

"I can see where a cat would be the perfect spy, but why is she in here?"

:Curiosity.:  Wynne said.  She was shocked cat-man knew of her kind.  :I wanted to know more about Cat-man.:

"Cat-man?"  The darker man laughed.

"The name is An'desha, not cat-man.  This is Karal."

:Pleased to meet you.:  she dipped her head in greeting.

"They are also incredibly secretive."  An'desha laughed.  "Not that I can blame them."

:You may call me Berry.:

"Pleased to meet you Berry.  Why else are you here?"  Karal asked.

:I am trying to find all the hazards in my territory.:  Wynne explained.  She decided she liked these two men, a lot.  :What are you An'desha?:

"I am a Changechild."

Wynne was satisfied she was about as dry as she would get and stretched out in a patch of winter sun.

Altra lay next to her.  :I have never heard of Shifters.:

"Ma'ar gave them powerful instincts to keep from telling others about who they were or about their missions.  Of course they would be very reclusive."

:So we have a spy in our midst.:  Altra looked down his nose at her.

"I doubt it."  Karal defended Wynne.  "I have yet to meet a cat who will serve any interests but their own."

Wynne didn't disabuse him of that notion.  :I am the only Shifter in Valdemar that I know of and I am not spying on you.:

"So why are you here at the palace?"

Wynne thought of the first reason she started coming to the palace.  She began to purr, her eyes were half closed in pleasure just at the thought of his clever, gentle fingers.  :Julian.:

Karal looked confused but An'desha laughed. 

"They choose their mates for life.  My bet is Herald Julian is her choice for mate.  It would also explain the strange cat he has every once and a while."

Karal looked at Wynne in surprise, as did Altra.

An'desha fondled her ear.  "I am glad to see the Shifters survived."